


Parlor Tricks

by izayoi_no_mikoto



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: M/M, Nonnies Made Me Do It, One-Sided Relationship, Pining, The Switch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2019-01-06 11:44:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12210624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/izayoi_no_mikoto/pseuds/izayoi_no_mikoto
Summary: When Niou comes up with the idea for the switch, it isn't really about tennis.





	Parlor Tricks

"Adieu," Niou said.  "Adieu.  Adieu.  Adieu."  His voice echoed in the emptiness.  
  
He critically studied his reflection, adjusting his hair just ever so.  A few more dark strands nudged to the side, and--perfect.  In the mirror, Yagyuu stared back at him, the lenses of his glasses gleaming.  
  
"This is an absurd idea, Niou-kun," Niou said.  "I have full confidence in my ability to play the role of you.  But do you truly think you can use my Laser Beam?  Yanagi-kun will notice the difference immediately."  
  
Yagyuu's words settled in his mouth easily, smoothing out his nasal drawl into something proper and refined.  Yagyuu's propriety snapped his back ramrod-straight; Yagyuu's silent judgment pinched his face into a sour expression.

Yagyuu would be right about one thing:  Niou's Laser Beam wasn't quite up to snuff.  But in every other way, Niou could play a perfect Yagyuu Hiroshi.  
  
He knew everything about the way Yagyuu presented himself to the world.  He knew how Yagyuu wore his shirt collars and socks, the timbre and rise and fall of his too-polite voice, every slight twitch of his eyebrows and lips.  Of course he knew; he had spent untold hours watching Yagyuu.  
  
He looked away from the mirror, slouched, reverted.  "I don't need to hit a perfect Laser Beam, it just needs to be good enough."  Then he smirked, trademark Niou.  "Besides, even if Yanagi notices, no one else will.  They'll have enough trouble with _my_ Laser Beam, and then how do you think they'll feel when they face the real thing?  You might as well stab a dagger in their hearts."  
  
He knew what Yagyuu would say to that.  "Even assuming that was the case," he said, in Yagyuu's most unimpressed voice, "I fail to see the purpose.  Surely it would be a better use of our time and energy to focus on more reasonable strategies, rather than parlor tricks."  
  
Niou snorted.  "You can't fool me, Yagyuu.  You love a good parlor trick.  And you like crushing your opponents just as much as I do."  
  
And it _was_ an absolutely nasty strategy, from a tennis perspective.  This level of psychological warfare on the court would destroy even the much-ballyhooed Golden Pair.  It was exactly the type of ploy that the Trickster would come up with.  But the honest truth was that, this time, Niou didn't give a _fuck_ about any of that.  
  
This wasn't about pulling off some trick.  This wasn't even about tennis.  This was about Yagyuu.  
  
"You have a horrible wicked streak, Niou-kun," he said, in the guarded voice that Yagyuu used when he didn't want to reveal how intrigued he was.  In the mirror, Yagyuu's narrow eyes gleamed, and his lips twitched, just a flicker of a vicious smile that was instantly subsumed by the genteel Gentleman.  Just a hint of what Yagyuu really was, somewhere beneath that perfect mask.  It was the part of him that made Niou want, and want, and _want_ \--  
  
_Yagyuu_ , Niou thought, but when he reached out, his fingers touched nothing but glass, and the illusion shattered.  
  
He knew better than to think he could have Yagyuu.  But sliding into Yagyuu's skin was the next closest thing, and he'd thought it would be good enough.  
  
He was a fool.  
  
Niou stared at his reflection, but he couldn't see Yagyuu there anymore.  "Adieu," he murmured, and pulled his fingers away.

**Author's Note:**

> (Inspired by the prompt: 100 words of role swap)


End file.
